Friday, April 20, 2007

ISTANBUL (BP)--In a gruesome assault against Turkey's tiny Christian community, five young Muslim Turks entered a Christian publishing office in the southeastern province of Malatya April 18 and slit the throats of the three Protestant Christians present.

Two of the victims, Necati Aydin, 36, and Ugur Yuksel, 32, were Turkish converts from Islam. The third man, Tilmann Geske, 46, was a German citizen.

The Turkish press reported that four of the five young men, all 19 to 20 years of age, admitted during initial interrogations that they were motivated by both "nationalist and religious feelings."

"We did this for our country," an identical note in the pockets of all five young men read, Channel D television station reported. "They are attacking our religion."

According to the Hurriyet newspaper, one of the suspects declared during police questioning, "We didn't do this for ourselves. We did it for our religion. May this be a lesson to the enemies of religion."

In a demonstration against the Zirve Publishing office in Malatya two years ago, local protestors had claimed its publishing and distribution activities constituted "proselytism" among Muslims and should be closed down. Turkish law, however, guarantees the right to engage in religious evangelism if it does not contain proven political motives. Read More

BLACKSBURG, Va. (BP)--Two more students who died at Virginia Tech April 16 were identified as active members of Southern Baptist churches. Jarrett Lane belonged to First Baptist Church in Narrows, Va., and Lauren McCain was part of Restoration Church Phoebus Baptist in Hampton. Read More

"The universe is fine-tuned on a razor's edge ... It is better explained by the existence of a Creator."

-- Lee Strobel

DALLAS (BP)--Science, when done right, points powerfully to a designer whose characteristics "just happen to match the descriptions of the God of the Bible," author and Christian apologist Lee Strobel said during a conference on the theory of Intelligent Design at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Read More

WASHINGTON (BP)--Congress has initiated a renewed attempt to expand hate crimes protections to homosexuals and transgendered individuals, and opponents have mounted a counter effort they realize will be difficult to sustain on Capitol Hill. Read More

"I am calling on all pro-life and tax-conscience citizens to contact their legislator and insist that the legislature vote to override Gov. Henry's veto of SB 714," said Anthony Jordan, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. "Be assured, we will do everythi... Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Three Southern Baptist entities -- LifeWay Christian Resources, the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board –- have forged a collaborative research effort in which LifeWay Research will conduct special research projects on behalf of the two mission boards.

As part of the new initiative, Ed Stetzer, missiologist and senior director of the Center for Missional Research at NAMB, will become director of LifeWay Research, effective June 1. Stetzer... Read More

SALEM, Ore. (BP)--The Oregon House of Representatives April 17 passed a domestic partnerships bill granting same-sex couples the legal benefits of marriage, continuing a recent trend of victories by homosexual activists in state legislatures.

The bill, H.B. 2007, passed the House by a vote of 34-26 and now goes on to the Senate. Both chambers are controlled by Democrats. Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat, has said he will sign it, The Oregonian reported.

EDITORS' NOTE: The following story is part of a monthly Baptist Press series to explore and describe how individuals, churches, associations and conventions exhibit a passion for Christ and His Kingdom.

EL CAJON, Calif. (BP)--Whether you're a prison inmate or a police officer, single or senior adult, an off-road enthusiast or on the road to recovery, Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., has got you covered. With dozens of Bible-based, spiritually centered, evangelist... Read More

EL CAJON, Calif. (BP)--Cindy Wilcken warned the congregation at Shadow Mountain Community Church that she might cry as she addressed them on Sunday evening, April 15. Her audience laughed when she told them that her third grade students at Logan Elementary School know to expect a few tears from her whenever she tells them stories about her family and other people who are dear to her. And as she spoke to Shadow Mountain, Wilcken cried a few tears of gratitude on behalf of those students, whose li... Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The U.S. Supreme Court building is a monumental structure, an identifiable edifice that is striking not just for its architecture, but also for the process of justice that it represents. The symbolism of its entryway façade with the words "EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW" is timeless. Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--My heart was broken as I read the April 17 report about the decline of baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention. Many of the other statistics we track looked healthy, which caused me to wonder about the issue of priorities. Read More

EDITORS' NOTE: Today is the final day in a week-long series of columns on biblical doctrine by former LifeWay Christian Resources President Jimmy Draper. Today's column accompanies another column on the same subject, healing. The series coincides with "Baptist Doctrine Study" week within the Southern Baptist Convention.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Does God heal today? No other conclusion is possible for Christians who hold to the inerrancy of Scripture. He can do it.

EDITORS' NOTE: Today is the final day in a week-long series of columns on biblical doctrine by former LifeWay Christian Resources President Jimmy Draper. Today's column accompanies another column on the same subject, healing. The series coincides with "Baptist Doctrine Study" week within the Southern Baptist Convention.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In the past 25 years we've seen the death of scores of people who refused medical help because of their belief that faith is all that is nee... Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In the aftermath of the murderous mayhem that rocked the campus of Virginia Tech -- and the whole nation -- USA Today posted a feature on its site that gives us a short, but personal introduction to each of those who perished.

In our busy, information-crazed world, it is easy to focus on the number of innocent students and university faculty killed -- 32 -- and not consider that each number represents a life: a life supremely valued by God.

Formed in 1946 by the Southern Baptist Convention, and supported with Cooperative Program funds, Baptist Press (BP) is a daily (Monday-Friday) international news service. Operating from a central bureau in Nashville, Tenn., BP works with a large network of contributing writers, photographers and editorial providers to produce BP News.